


Illusions of Reality

by TMar



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: F/M, Mind Manipulation, Talosians (Star Trek)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 10:29:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17078630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMar/pseuds/TMar
Summary: During a warp test, the Enterprise ends up at Talos IV. What illusions, I wonder, will the crew experience?





	Illusions of Reality

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in July 1993. I liked the Talosians. And Captain Pike. But really, it was just another excuse to write a Picard/Crusher story for like the zillionth time.

ILLUSIONS OF REALITY

Geordi LaForge was smiling and humming to himself as he worked. He was working on a sensitive engine calibration which would, hopefully, improve warp engine efficiency, and make it possible for starships to travel at speeds approaching warp 9.8 quite comfortably.

"Reg!" he yelled down to Engineering level.

"Yes, Commander."

"How's it going?"

"Fine. Just a few more adjustments... that's it. I think we can restart the warp engines now."

"Okay. I'm all done here." Geordi descended to floor level and took a look before pressing his comm  
badge. "Captain, we're ready."

Picard, on the Bridge, turned to his conn officer. "All right, Ensign, warp 9."

"Aye, Sir," replied Ro Laren, and the ship moved forward until the stars became passing streaks. "Warp 9," said Ro.

"Right, let's give it a try, Ensign. Warp 9.4," said Riker.

"Warp 9.4. Doing fine so far."

"Mister LaForge?" Picard asked.

"Fine, Sir."

"Warp 9.6," Riker said.

"Warp 9.6."

"9.7."

"Warp 9.7, aye, Sir."

"Mister LaForge?" asked Picard again, receiving the reply, "Fine," again.

"9.8," said Riker.

"Warp 9.8."

"How long can we hold this velocity, Commander?" Picard asked.

"We'll have to see. Doing f... wait!"

"What is it?" 

"I don't know, Sir. A fluctuation." Geordi left off talking to Picard and yelled, "Barclay!"

"I see it, Commander. Attempting to compensate."

Geordi spoke to the air - actually, to Picard, 35 levels up - again. "We're attempting to compensate, Sir."

"Understood."

Geordi and Barclay stood at the console, frantically trying to get the fluctuation under control. "Reg, talk to me!"

"It's not working, Sir. There's too much stress. We're either going to stop, or we'll exceed Warp 9.8 and end up in another quadrant."

"Captain!" Geordi yelled. "Recommend we decrease speed."

Riker turned to Ro. "Ensign, bring us to warp 7."

"I can't... ah..."

"Ensign!"

"Sir, I've input the decrease, but nothing's happening."

"We can't decrease speed," Riker yelled.

"Sir, we could just shut down power from here," said Barclay to LaForge.

Geordi nodded. "Do it."

Barclay pushed the necessary buttons, and at last the warp power decreased, bringing the ship out of warp. Geordi looked at his panels, gathered up a PADD, and rushed off to the bridge.

On the bridge, Ro spoke for them all. "We're out of it."

"Why did that happen?" Picard asked, speaking to Geordi, who had just stepped out of the turbolift.

"Because we used Starfleet's intermix ratios. Their ratios were about 0.4 of a percent off. That caused the fluctuations, which caused the power increase." Geordi was looking at his computer PADD as he spoke. "That speed's no good with our normal intermix ratios. Well, not for long anyway. We could try again, since the problem seems to have been caused by the incorrect ratio."

"Hmmm. Get our engines back to the way they were, Mister LaForge. We'll inform Starfleet and see if they want another test, with YOUR figures this time."

Geordi smiled. "Aye, Sir," and left the Bridge.

"Now, let's see how far we've come. Ensign?"

Ro and Data were both looking at their consoles. Finally Ro replied, "Sir, we've travelled about... 185 light years."

"Confirmed, Sir," said Data from Ops. "According to the readings, we are now in the Talos system."

"The Talos system?" asked Deanna. "I'm not familiar with it."

"No reason you should be, Counselor," replied Picard. "Few officers except command officers are."

"But I believe Data would know," put in Riker. "Am I correct, Data?"

"Yes, Sir."

"All right. Conference."

Once in the Observation Lounge, Data began. "Little is known about the Talos system. There are eleven planets, the fourth of which is Class M. Nothing is recorded as to inhabitants, if any. The only starship ever to visit Talos IV was the first Enterprise, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike. After  
that mission, General Order 7 was apended to explicity forbid any starship or other vessel from visiting the planet."

Picard opened his mouth, but his second officer clearly was not finished. He carried on, "Thirteen years after the initial contact, the Enterprise again visited Talos IV, this time during the command of Captain James T. Kirk. Little is known about that contact except that it resulted in the court martial of Captain Kirk's first officer, Commander Spock."

"Spock!?" The bridge crew were all clearly shocked at this revelation.

"Yes. He was found guilty of contravening General Order 7, but the commander of Starbase 11, Commodore Jose Mendez, suspended the penalty and Commander Spock was allowed to remain on active service."

"Number One?" asked Picard.

"Well, clearly, there's something or someone down on Talos IV that we're not supposed to see."

"Counselor?"

"It must be for our own good, Captain, if Starfleet would impose a specific General Order to cover it."

"Mister Worf?"

"Agreed, Sir."

Picard stood up and pulled his tunic down. "Very well. Ensign, you will plot a course back to our original position."

"Aye, Sir."

"Make it so." And Picard went out.

On the bridge, they all took their seats and were about to get underway when Ensign LaRae at the aft science station said, "Sir, we are being scanned."

"Shields up," said Riker.

"Shields up," replied Worf.

"No effect," reported LaRae.

"Are they still scanning?" asked Picard.

"Scans just stopped."

"Mister Data, did this happen to the other Enterprise?"

"Unknown, Sir. That information is highly classified."

"Get us out of here, Ensign," said Riker, urgency creeping into his voice.

"I can't," replied Ro. "The helm won't respond."

"Geordi, what's going on?" Picard spoke to the air again.

"I don't know, Captain. Everything's in perfect working order down here."

Picard, who had stood up in concern, now reseated himself. "Well, Number One, it looks as if it's their move."

"I'd agree with that," said Will.

No sooner had they said that, than the viewscreen's view of space changed to show two beings with extremely large heads. *Welcome to Talos IV,* they heard, but saw neither being speak. *You are hearing my thought transmissions. We have not had visitors for many, many years. We would welcome the change.*

Picard stood up, nervous about this. If Starfleet said don't go to the planet, that meant DON'T GO TO THE PLANET. However, it did not cover talking to the aliens from said planet. So Picard made his decision. "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship Enterprise."

*Yes, we know. We have scanned your ship. You are still the kind of humans we encountered a hundred years ago.*

"What can we do for you?" Picard asked, not quite following the thoughts of this being.

*I am called the Keeper. Our species is long-lived. We know of your General Order 7, but we shall not offer you the inducement which created that order.*

No one on the bridge, with the exception of perhaps Data, knew what the Keeper was talking, er, thinking, about. "Why must we not visit your world?" Picard asked.

*We are masters of illusion, and we destroyed any hope of saving our way of life. There are few of us left. One day there will be none. It is better this way.*

"I'm afraid I don't understand," said Picard, speaking for everyone.

*If you will beam down, we will explain.*

Picard looked at Riker, who did not look happy, to put it mildly. Then he looked back at the screen. "General Order 7 is still valid."

*I believe, Captain, that you will find that now your memory will only be erased.*

"After I'm court martialed."

*We will intercede with Starfleet Command. We have done it before.*

"Keeper, I must refuse."

*We will speak with you, and then you may go. Bring a... an Away Team down to us. Please.*

Picard sighed. He did want to know what was going on. "All right."

Just as he spoke, the transporter activated and beamed him right off the bridge, down to Talos IV. Similarly, Deanna Troi, Data, Worf and Beverly Crusher dematerialised. Picard would only find out later that they had been chosen because they had been in his mind to make up the Away Team. So he had  
what he wanted, and so did the Talosians.

The Away Team found themselves standing in a cavern facing the alien they had seen on the Enterprise viewscreen. "Welcome to Talos," said the Keeper, now actually talking to them.

"Thank you," Picard replied, only then realising who was with him. "What can we do for you?"

"We have been interested in your species ever since we encountered you over one hundred of your years ago. We simply wished to..."

"Check up on us?" Deanna asked, smiling warmly. She was not scared; for some reason she knew the Talosian had no harmful intentions.

"Yes. To check up on you."

"We will be glad to help," Picard told him. "But let me introduce the other members of my crew. Counselor Deanna Troi, Doctor Beverly Crusher, Lieutenant Commander Data, and Lieutenant Worf."

The Keeper looked with interest at Data. "Lieutenant Commander Data, how were you constructed?"

"I was built by Doctor Noonian Soong. There are detailed files on my design, taken from the construction of my brother, Lore."

"We scanned them. What we want to know is, can you build more like yourself?"

Data shook his head. "No. We have yet to resolve many of the paradoxes surrounding my design."

"A pity... you could have been the saviour of our race." The Keeper had truly wished it could be so. Perhaps artificial units like Data could reclaim the planet for the Talosians... but of course the Talosians could not build or repair machinery, only manipulate it. Another chance lost. The Talosian then turned to Worf. "And you are?"

"I am a Klingon."

The Keeper appeared to be thinking, then it seemed something clicked into place. "Ah. The warrior race."

"Yes." Worf grimaced in a good approximation of a grin, proud that SOMEONE in the galaxy knew what Klingons were.

"None of you are suitable, and we promised Captain Pike we would not use humans."

"Excuse me, Keeper, but what do you mean, not use humans?" Picard wasn't following the conversation too clearly.

"Perhaps I should explain from the beginning, Captain. Will you sit down? Perhaps Lieutenant Commander Data, Lieutenant Worf and Doctor Crusher would like to view our habitat." The Keeper clearly knew that Picard intended keeping Troi with him in her capacity as ship's counselor.

"We would, thank you," said Crusher, and as she spoke two other Talosians came in and conducted them out.

"Captain, we ask you not to judge us. Captain Pike allowed us to understand your race very well in the time he was here. It began thousands of centuries ago, with a nuclear war on the surface of our planet..."

***  
Beverly, Data and Worf were shown around the Talosian habitat. There were areas for growing and synthesising food, catchment areas for water, great amounts of quarters, only half-filled now, and an area which contained a menagerie of alien species, only a few of which the Enterprise crew were  
familiar with. "What are you doing here?" asked Beverly.

This Talosian clearly didn't like to speak. *We were attempting to assess the suitability of these races to work for us in reclaiming the surface of our planet.*

"And they weren't suitable?"

*No races we have ever encountered, except yours, have been.*

"But I have seen no humans here," Data pointed out.

*There are none. We know that humans hate captivity and would rather die than live that way. This has condemned our race to eventual death.*

"What about these races?" Beverly asked. "Is this your idea of a zoo?"

*Once it was. Now it is only a place where the descendants of species we once captured live.*

"And they don't mind?"

*They would be unable to fend for themselves outside. They are dependent on us. And we give them whatever illusions they wish.*

"Illusions?"

*Yes. That is why we cannot have contact with your people. You would learn our power of illusion and destroy yourselves by forgetting everything except the illusions, which are as real as life. We do not even know how to repair the machines our ancestors left behind. We are only a shadow of ourselves now. One day, even the shadow will be gone.*

"I'm sorry," said Beverly.

***

Picard had heard much the same story from the Keeper. "Why are we here?" he asked again, when he finally understood the Talosians' unique problem.

"We need your help. We wish to be stimulated, renewed, just once more. You can help us."

"How?" Deanna asked.

"By participating in illusions we create from your own minds."

"I don't..." Picard began.

"Captain Picard, we will only create illusions you feel comfortable living. If you do not, you may simply ask for the illusion to be ended."

"And if I refuse?"

"You will return to your ship, and we to our life."

That decided Picard. If they had threatened him, or his ship, he would have said no. But the Keeper's willingness to give up a new source of illusions for the thought records when he could have used force, touched the captain. He felt pity for the Talosians, unable to contact other races for fear of contaminating them, unable to find a race suitable to help them reclaim their planet and begin again, and unable to stop their slow decline into death. "Very well," said Picard, looking at Troi. "I assume you agree, Counselor?"

"If we can help, I would like to."

"Agreed. How long will this take?" Picard asked the Keeper.

"It depends upon the number of illusions you are willing to participate in."

"I will allow only my Away Team to take part," Picard decided. "Three illusions each, no more. If they agree."

"That will only take two days. But it will be enough." A vein in the Keeper's head pulsed for a few seconds, then the Keeper seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "And I am informed that the members of your Away Team have agreed as well, because you have. Thank you, Captain."

"When can we begin?" Picard asked.

"Now."

Suddenly, Picard was no longer standing in the cavern with the Keeper and Troi. He was walking the corridors of a very huge, very cubic ship. A Borg ship. He looked down at himself and heaved a sigh of relief - he was still wearing his Starfleet uniform; he was still himself. He was not Locutus. He continued walking along, noticing the Borg standing in their interface slots, communing. Behind him he heard Lieutenant Commander Shelby's voice, "Keep looking. We must find the captain."

And Beverly's, "What if he's dead?"

Then Worf's, "They would not kidnap him just to kill him. He is here."

Turning, Picard saw the Away Team standing, looking around, phasers drawn. He walked towards them. "I'm here."

But they ignored him.

Picard grabbed Beverly by the shoulders. "Beverly! I'm here! It's me! I'm fine!" He knew very well that when this had really happened, he had not been fine at all.

And Worf's, "I have his signal."

They walked further into the Borg ship, and found his uniform, as they had before. And then they saw him. He WAS there, as Locutus. But he was here too. How had this happened? "Jean-Luc!" Beverly said, rushing towards him. And of course Locutus ignored her. The Away Team, being converged on by Borg  
warriors, beamed off. Picard couldn't understand this illusion - it had been more like a play than an illusion...

Suddenly he was grabbed from behind. Turning, he saw Locutus leering at him. "They couldn't hear you, Picard. Only me."

"No!" Picard pulled out of Locutus' grasp, and ran. But where could he run to? The Enterprise officers had not seen him. Locutus followed. "You're me, and I'm you. You wanted to be here; you were happy as a Borg. If not, you would have resisted them."

"I did resist!" yelled Picard at this... this THING he had once been.

"Prove it." Locutus hit him, and Picard stumbled away. "Come on, Picard," it taunted. "Show me how you resist."

Picard stepped forward and hit Locutus with as much force as he could muster. It hardly affected the cyborg. "Is that the best you can do?" it asked. "No wonder we took you over so easily."

"You didn't!" Picard had long wanted to yell, "Enough!" at the Talosians, ever since he'd realised where he was. But he hadn't, and he wasn't going to now. "You didn't. I defeated you in the end."

"I'm still here, Picard. Why, then, am I still here? I am Locutus of Borg, and I am still here!" It threw Picard up against the wall. Picard fell to the deck, and picked himself up. Physical fighting was not the way to win. He had to convince himself, and Locutus too, that Locutus wasn't there any longer.

"No." He said it calmly. "You're not here. You're dead. I killed you back at Sector 001. You are GONE." He said it with utter conviction, resolutely. He believed it. And Locutus believed it too.

"You're NOT here, Locutus! You're dead. Gone." He knew it. He had won. Picard looked up (which wasn't really the right direction, but where else was he going to look?) and said, "And this illusion is over."

Just before he reappeared in the Keeper's cavern, he saw Locutus fade away, leaving only the Borg ship behind.

The Keeper was smiling at him, and Deanna Troi no longer appeared to be in the room. "Excellent," said the Keeper.

"Excellent?"

"Yes."

"Were Beverly, Worf and Data really on the Borg ship with me?" Somehow Picard didn't think so, and the Keeper confirmed this. "No. Beverly is having a picnic with her husband and her son. Worf is engaged in a battle with two Romulans. Counselor Troi is swimming on a planet called Risa with an illusion  
of your first officer."

"Data?" Picard was extremely curious. "Do your illusions work on Data?"

"Yes. He is a remarkable construction. He is engaged in a discussion about himself with Doctor Noonian Soong and Commander Maddox."

Picard smiled to himself, thinking how typical all those illusions were. "What illusion is next?" he asked.

"For you, Captain, a peaceful one. You have had your struggle."

"And after the peaceful one?"

"Something you have wanted to do, but never did."

"Which is?"

"We do not know. You will tell us when we need it."

"A peaceful one..." mused Picard as the cavern disappeared.

He found himself dressed for rock-climbing or some such activity, crawling through a tunnel which led into a large cave. "This is an archaeological expedition!" he said, his face lighting up... 

And so it went. Each member of the Away Team had a peaceful illusion, and one in which a struggle took place. It was the third illusion that interested Picard, however... What would the Talosians do? He tried to think of something he'd always wanted to do, but couldn't. He'd always wanted to captain a  
starship, to dig up artifacts. What else was there?

When he returned to the cavern this time, he asked the Keeper what the illusion would be. But the Keeper remained silent. "We will know when you know. Just relax and believe in it."

The cavern faded away... and Picard found himself in Ten Forward. Not on some exotic alien planet, but in TEN FORWARD! He knew it was an illusion, but he still pressed the comm panel. "This is the captain. Is there anyone on board?"

No answer from the comm panel. However, one came from a darkened corner. "Yes. I'm on board." The voice was low and sensuous, and Picard recognised it immediately. He turned. "Beverly?"

It was indeed Beverly Crusher, or the illusion of her. She was dressed in a flowing silk robe of pale, pale blue, and underneath had on only two scraps of scarlet lace. "Beverly?" asked Picard again as she came towards him.

"Yes, Jean-Luc?"

"Are you an illusion?"

"You decide if I am."

Picard looked up and spoke to the Talosians again. "This is what I always wanted?!" He received no reply, as he stared at Beverly Crusher dressed in something he had never even imagined her wearing. Oh, really? his mind asked him. You never wondered what she'd look like without that uniform on? You  
never wanted her? Liar! Picard knew his inner voice spoke the truth.

"Why are we in Ten Forward?" he asked the illusion.

"You like Ten Forward, but you don't often come here. You've wanted to..."

"Yes, I have," Picard conceded.

"And you have wanted me."

"Yes, I have." Picard knew the Talosians got the illusions from one's own mind; and they were therefore, in some fashion, the truth.

His answer brought a smile to Beverly's face. She dropped the robe, and suddenly Picard realised that he no longer had his uniform on. Instead, he was dressed in his sleepwear. He looked at Beverly. "I hope you know this isn't really happening," he said.

"Oh, it's happening, my captain," she said, pulling his black tunic off. "It's happening." She pulled Picard towards her and leaned back over the bar.

Picard decided to forget that it was an illusion... for a while.

***

When the illusion was over, Picard half-expected to reappear in the cavern with nothing on. Of course, he didn't. Intellectually he knew that he'd never left the cavern, never changed his uniform, and never taken anything off. But it had seemed so REAL.

The Keeper was smiling. "Captain Picard, I thank you. You have brightened our existence for a little while."

"Glad to help," Picard answered, wondering just how much of the illusion the Talosians saved. He had been told that they saved everything, including every sensation, every emotion. If so, they had saved something very special to him. But it wasn't like being on a galactic transmission for all to see. It had been between him, his Away Team, and them. It was all right.

"I do not think we will have contact with you again. Be assured that your shipmates do not know you were gone." The Talosian seemed to be trying to spare them any trouble due to their predicament.

"How?" was all Jean-Luc asked.

"We provided illusions. But we have also contacted your Starfleet Command. This meeting never took place."

"Thank you."

As he dematerialised, Picard thought he saw sadness on the Keeper's face.

***

The Away Team sat in the Observation Lounge, talking about their illusions. As the captain had thought, each had had three illusions with similar themes: struggle, peace, forbidden fruit (so to speak). Picard told them that they did not have to explain their illusions, and no one would know except the Talosians. All breathed a sigh of relief.

"Counselor, what did you sense from them down there?"

"A great deal." Deanna paused, trying to put all she had sensed into words. "I believe the expression is, 'They are large. They contain multitudes.' I felt... benevolence, fear, hope, surprise, kindness, sympathy... They want their race to survive, but they know they are not going to. It saddens them, and yet somehow they have learned to respect other life forms. I believe Captain Pike had something to do with that."

"Hmmm." Picard nodded - it was the sense he had gotten as well. "Does anyone have anything to add?"

No one did, so the meeting was dismissed. Beverly got up too, but wasn't near the door before Picard asked her to remain.

"What is it, Jean-Luc?" She came to stand at the opposite end of the table, looking uncomfortable, and Picard wondered if her illusion hadn't somehow matched his.

"I... I wanted to... to ask about your last illusion. What it was." He didn't meet her eyes.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I must know."

"Why?"

Now their eyes met, and Picard said, "Because you were in my illusion."

Beverly was shocked. "Wh... what?"

"You were in my illusion. I was on the Enterprise, and it was deserted... except for you. You and I were all alone..."

"In Ten Forward."

If Picard had been the fainting type, he would have fainted. "What!?"

Beverly looked as though she wanted to run from the room, but knew that she couldn't. If she did, this would always stand between them. "When that illusion began, I was standing in a corner of Ten Forward, in... an outfit that I'd always wished I had the courage to wear, but never had. Then you appeared. You asked..."

"If there was anyone on board," supplied Jean-Luc.

"Oh my God!" Beverly stared at him. "I thought... I thought..."

"You thought it was an illusion."

"I knew it was, but you... you weren't supposed to be real. I would never... oh my God."

Picard cast his mind back to the illusion... the way she had touched him, the softness of her skin and hair, the feel of her body against his, what a wonderful fit it had been...

Beverly was thinking much the same thing. He had touched her in ways she had always hoped he would, but she'd rationalised it, thinking: It's MY illusion. Only they had both been very wrong.

"We shared our illusion." Picard said what they both knew but added, "Why?"

"Because we both wanted the same thing, don't you see?" Beverly knew it, somehow. "I wanted to wear that for you. I wanted it to be just us alone on the Enterprise. And you must have wanted it, too, somehow..."

"I wanted to be in Ten Forward. I wanted to... touch you." He looked away suddenly, afraid of the doctor's reaction. He felt ashamed for admitting it, although he had known it was the truth since the Talosians had given him the illusion, taken it from his mind.

Beverly now stepped slowly towards Picard, who had not once moved from his chair. She sat on the table, putting her hands on his shoulders. "That was truth."

He looked up. "Yes." 

This time their eyes did not waver, and Beverly said, softly, "What's that saying? The truth will set you free?"

Never had Picard heard such true words. He finally admitted to himself what had been in his mind all along: he DID want her, and he always would.

Without taking his eyes from hers, Picard reached up and pulled her head down to his so that their lips met, and Beverly shrugged out of her jacket and slid off the table into Picard's lap. The feeling of her here, in his arms, her body against his, was something that Picard had always known, and yet it  
was strange, too. Strange, and wonderful...

It was then that Jean-Luc Picard realised where they were, that this was not an illusion, and that the Enterprise was certainly NOT deserted. "Uh... Beverly... someone could come in."

Crusher at this point did not care, as she plunged both hands under his jacket, feeling muscle under warm skin. "You're the captain," she whispered into one ear. "Lock the door."

"C... computer... seal doors to the Observation Lounge. To be opened only by my voiceprint or Doctor Crusher's." Picard no longer wanted to leave, and he knew he no longer had the strength to, either.

"Door sealed," the computer said obediently.

Just before he began removing the doctor's uniform, Picard muttered, more to himself than her, "First Ten Forward, now the Observation Lounge. What next?"

"I've found that Engineering has a nice ambience," Beverly said, and they both laughed softly before continuing to behave in ways which would have greatly surprised their crew.

THE END


End file.
